Wineries and Wanderlust
by linkinparkh2over
Summary: Two very different twenty-somethings taking a gap year to explore the world. No set plans or itineraries, just following their wanderlust wherever it takes them. They're each trusting their heart to take them to the next destination, not quite sure what they're after but loving every second of the journey..but why on earth do they keep bumping into each other along the way? RichKor
1. Chapter 1

**And again, I find myself drawing inspiration from my time abroad. This should be a relatively short story, maybe 10 chapters or so? And theoretically should be finished within a few weeks, as I've planned the plot out completely and chapters will just be a matter of fleshing out ideas more thoroughly and tying up loose ends. Should be a fun write and a fun read, hope you enjoy!**

Setting: Carcassone (Southern France), Late June

POV: Richard

Richard groaned as the group slowed to a stop and yet another row of bushes. Okay, so he was being crass. They were in a _vineyard_ , on a wine tour that he had admittedly signed himself up for of his own free will. But for some reason when he read the description of the day he pictured a lot fewer grapes and a lot more actual wine-drinking. He sighed for what seemed like the eighth time in the past hour and reached under his dark shades to pinch the bridge of his nose. The elderly couple in front of him turned to give him disapproving glares before shuffling forward a few feet closer to the tour guide.

They were only at their first vineyard, with two more to go. But how long could they really spend looking at different grapes and talking about what wines are made from them? Wasn't the purpose of the wine tour to actually learn about - by way of drinking - said wines? His stomach grumbled loudly and he tried to keep a straight face as the same elderly couple turned to glare at him once more. If he had known the tour would be such a snooze-fest he would have just stayed in and nursed his hangover from the "comfort" of his hostel bed, instead of jumping up like a crazy person at the sound of his alarm going off after the fifth "snooze" button, and choosing to shower rather than get breakfast before the start of the tour.

He also didn't expect to be the only young person on the tour. In the company's defense, Richard thought, it is probably a much more lively trip when the audience isn't comprised of two balding, middle-aged men, an elderly couple, and a hungover backpacker who isn't quite sure what he's doing there.

He mentally scolded himself. He should be trying harder not to be miserable. Putting on his best attempt at an "oh this is interesting" face, he moved forward to catch the last of the tour guide's explanation.

"...so zat ees why zese types of grapes are better for a nice Merlot, rather zan, hmmm, a Cabernet Sauvignon." Richard rolled his eyes and dropped back to a safe distance as the obnoxious tour guide broke off into a bout of arrogant laughter and the old-timers humored him with polite giggles and light head shaking at the audacity of mixing up wine grapes. The group continued forward and Richard let a few more feet of distance form between him and the rest.

Okay, he tried. It wasn't going to work. Time to plot his escape. He had to fake some type of emergency and get himself out of there. The vineyard they had seen was nice enough, but there was no way in hell he was going to last an entire day vineyard-hopping with Clement the wine-wizard and his army of elderly buffoons. He knew he was being mean. But Richard couldn't help but feel that this tour guide was rather overdoing the sophisticated French-guy, a feeling that only doubled when said tour guide came to a sudden stop and looked over all of their heads.

"Sacre bleu!" exclaimed Clement, his eyes widening and his mouth hanging slightly agape. The old-birds turned immediately to see what had caught their guide's attention, while Richard fought to hold back laughter at the phrase. He lost the battle.

Letting out a deep bark of laughter, Richard doubled over and choked out a few choice words. "Oh what the hell! Sacre blurr? Is that something that French people actually say?" Clement hardly noticed Richard poking fun at him, and instead straightened up and began moving through the group with an air of someone trying to regain his composure as quickly as possible.

Finally, still chuckling, Richard turned in the direction that everyone else was still staring...and felt his jaw hit the ground.

Moving briskly through the vineyard towards the tour group was quite possibly the most beautiful woman that Richard had ever seen. Her eyes were wide and bright-green. Her long, deep red hair fell about her shoulders in waves and looked as though they would settle at about her waist if the wind didn't keep picking up the ends and tousling them around as she got closer and closer to the group. One hand was clutching a wide-brimmed sunhat to her head; the other one was holding onto a shawl that was threatening to fall off her sun-kissed shoulders, which Richard decided he wouldn't mind at all since underneath the wide shawl she seemed to be wearing a white spaghetti-strapped summer dress that fell to just above her toned calves.

Finally she pulled even to the group, and dropped to rest her hands on her knees as she caught her breath. Giggling a bit, she straightened up and offered her hand to Clement, who almost ran forward to take it in both of his and kiss it. At this, Richard bristled, and was delighted to see that the strange girl was almost frowning.

Recovering quickly, she reclaimed her hand and smiled warmly at him. "Hi! I am so sorry for my tardiness, but it seems that my hostel was a bit tricky for the driver to find this morning. I am Kory Anders, and I believe I am to join your tour." Clement bowed deeply and asked her to think nothing at all of her tardiness as it was the driver's fault. Beckoning her forward, he somehow managed to get her situated at the front of the tour - probably so he could oggle her more easily - and the tour continued.

As they inched forward to another, slightly different group of bushes, Richard craned his head to get a better look at the late-comer. Her cheeks were still a bit flushed - whether from Clement's gross kiss or from her quick solo trip through the vineyard, Richard couldn't be sure - and she seemed to be very genuinely interested in what Clement was explaining about these particular grapes, which was a red-flag for Richard has he had absolutely no clue what the hell was going on.

Richard inched forward toward the stationary group as Clement picked a few grapes and held them up while continuing to talk about them. He offered one to Kory and she graciously popped it into her mouth, making an adorable giggling sound as she chewed that made Richard's stomach twist itself into a bit of a knot before rapidly untwisting itself again in an extremely unpleasant fashion. Nudging the judgemental elderly couple aside a bit, he took one more step forward so that he was stationed right behind Kory. She hardly seemed to notice, but Clement narrowed his eyes at Richard before plowing through his extremely boring monologue about the importance of this particular set of grapes. A plan forming rapidly in his head, Richard only vaguely noted that Kory's hair smelled of vanilla and raspberries, before tearing his eyes away from the back of her head and forcing them to focus on Clement's now positively sour-looking face.

"And so, zese are zee types of grapes zat are best suited for making zee malbec zat zis winery eez quite famous for, at zee moment."

Only half-listening, Richard nodded his head and looked politely interested like the rest of the group, but his fingers were moving rapidly over his phone's keyboard just inside his coat.

"Ahh, but of course! And every one knows that a good malbec's characteristics vary greatly depending on where it is grown and how it is transformed. Generally it produces an easy-drinking style, well colored wine that tastes of plums, berries, and spice." Richard noted triumphantly, earning the blank stares of Clement, the entire group of old birds, and finally enticing Kory to turn around and settle those bottle-green orbs on his face.

For a second he felt like he was being appraised. Her eyes searched his face, and he expertly kept his cool while he stared eagerly back at her from the safety of his dark shades. Turning more fully, she lifted just one eyebrow into a playful arch, a small smile tugging at her lips as she fought to keep them pursed in disapproval. The smirk won out, and she turned back around to face Clement as Richard silently reveled in his small victory.

Seemingly holding back the urge to roll his eyes at Richard, Clement cleared his throat and offered Kory his arm. She let her gaze linger on Richard for a millisecond longer before graciously accepting the arm being offered her and moving along with the smirking tour guide. The elderly couple and balding old men moved forward at once, but Richard stayed put for a few extra seconds before following suit, once again falling to the back of the group. Although Clement was annoyingly poor at subtlety, Richard couldn't help but feel a bit of a spark had been there while he had held Kory's gaze.

Stuffing his hands back into his coat pockets, he studied the back of her head. A slow smile crept upon his face as he realized that, for the first time that morning, he was feeling rather optimistic and excited about the rest of the tour.

 **Disclaimers: I have never been to Carcassonne, nor am I a wine expert. This story will require a fair amount of research and I am quite happy to do it, just as long as you guys don't crucify me if I have a few things wrong! Haha.**

 **So, how this will work, is that I will post Richard and Kory chapters within a day of each other. Each character will get their own chapter for any given place / significant moment, but they won't necessarily recount the same exact parts of the story, so that the plot will progress with each chapter. Sound good? Kory chapter is going through maintenance and then it will be up in a few hours. Tell me what you think!**


	2. Chapter 2

Carcassonne: Kory

Kory's cheek-bones hurt. She had been forcing smiles for hours, and although she was thoroughly enjoying her in-depth look at the local wineries of Southern France, she couldn't help but feel that she would be quite glad to escape to the sanctity of her simple hostel room in just a few hours' time.

She was a social butterfly, don't get her wrong. She had enjoyed her talks and connected well with the others on the tour group, as well as the owners of the three different wineries and vineyards that they had been to throughout the day. But she had spent the entire tour being the subject of a game of tug-o-war between the snooty tour guide, Clement, and the cocky frat-boy Richard. She truly didn't know which one was worse, although Richard was also ridiculously good-looking so she guessed he was the lesser of two evils.

In fact, at first she had found Richard to be rather charming, and had pretended not to notice him stealing glances at her for the first two hours of their time together. She even politely chose not to react to him inching forward through their group to stand closer to her whenever Clement made them stop to deliver yet another long-winded explanation of something.

The French guy knew his wines, she'd give him that, but so did she. She knew them exceptionally well, in fact, as her parents owned several world-renowned vineyards on the small island of Tamaran where she was born and raised. She supposed it was thanks to the Mediterranean weather on the island that she was able to maintain her olive-toned, borderline orangey skin tan throughout the entirety of the year.

No, Kory was no stranger to wines. She even had her own small collection of labels under her parent's brand. They had only been on the market for a few years but they had been received warmly overall, and it was thus that she found herself taking a year to travel and develop new tastes and blending ideas to go back home and experiment with. Perhaps it was her vast knowledge of wineries that made Clement's over-eager attempts to impress her all the more irritating.

Richard wasn't much better by comparison. She had initially found him very interesting. When he had recited that generic description about malbec wines, she had very nearly laughed out loud. She fully appreciated his attempt to bring Clement down a peg, and was quite looking forward to the prospect of getting to know him better.

But it seemed that sarcastic remarks and disingenuous comments designed to both fluster Clement and make himself seem more knowledgeable about wines than he actually was, was all that Richard had up his sleeve. Kory was rather disappointed. His self-serving humor and cocky demeanor reminded her rather forcefully of a few too many guys from back home that she had attempted to date with disastrous results. She wasn't travelling the world to find more of the same, so she soon dismissed his innocent but flirtatious comments and refocused herself on the task at hand. He remained persistent, however, and eventually became almost as much of an unwelcome distraction as Clement's increasingly less subtle attempts to pick her up.

And so, with only an hour or so left on the tour, Kory found herself finishing her lunch by her lonesome. The meal was delicious, and had a different wine-pairing for each course. Kory loved a good wine and food pairing, and she was currently struggling to finish her dessert - a decadent milk chocolate mousse and sliced strawberries, paired perfectly with a delightfully off-dry rosé sparkling wine.

She had managed to disentangle her arm from Clement's at the start of the meal, offering the lame excuse that she wanted to use the bathroom. She stalled in the foyer, and ended up having a delightful conversation with the vineyard and winery owner, during which she picked his brain about his favorite blends and ordered a few bottles from his collection to take home with her. Her plan worked better than expected, because by the time she made it back to the dining room to join the others they were already seated at a small circular table, and although there was an empty chair (right in between Richard and Clement), they were all sitting just about elbow to elbow as it was.

Seeing this, the owner of the winery offered to set a new table for Kory and a few other guests, but Kory wouldn't hear of him going to the trouble. She plucked the unused plate, glass, and utensils up before anyone could react properly, and set herself a seat at a small table for one in the corner of the dining room. She cheerily waved off the workers who were trying to protest, picked up a book out of her purse, and disappeared behind it with a small giggle. Finally a little peace and quiet.

Shrugging, the staff went back to their posts and the first course was served while Richard and Clement glared daggers at each other.

The meal commenced in near silence, with only the lovely elderly couple on the tour or the two middle-aged men speaking occasionally in voices hardly above whispers. Kory held fast to her book so that she would be harder to disturb, and she remained resilient through course after course until finally admitting defeat just a few bites into the chocolate mousse that sat in front of her now. She reclined a bit in her chair, finally putting down her book and letting the sleepiness that accompanied a good, hearty meal wash over her in waves. Her eyelids fluttered a bit, and she felt her head droop just a little as the edges of her vision grew steadily darker.

She dove towards unconsciousness, right there at the table, and only when she heard the _plop!_ of her book slipping from her fingers and hitting the ground did she realize that she had very nearly embarrassed herself by falling asleep into her chocolate mousse. She needn't have worried, as the others were too busy finishing their own meals to notice what the quiet redhead was up to.

Well. All except one, as she realized with a start that Richard was standing over her with a slightly patronizing smile playing on his lips.

Still fighting off her case of the sleepies, she looked dazedly up at him, and it struck her quite forcefully how very handsome he was when his mouth wasn't moving. His grin widened, and he bent to pick up her book at the exact same time that she reached for it.

The two bumped heads.

Kory frowned a bit and groaned, sitting back in her chair and wondering why in the world she felt like she was in a bad romantic comedy. Richard laughed nervously and stood back up with her book in hand.

"Sorry, uh, I just saw that you had dropped your... _Harry Potter_?" His gaze flipped from the book cover and back to her face incredulously. "Are you seriously reading Harry Potter right now? What are you, twelve?"

The moment being ruined, she snatched her book out of his hand and stuffed it back into her purse, glaring up at him.

"It's my favorite thing to read while I travel. It feels like home." Kory shook her head, momentarily surprised at herself. _Why did I just tell him that?_

He shrugged and smiled at her again, beckoning to the other side of her small table as if to ask if he could join her. She wanted to say no, but she was raised with better manners than that, so she nodded her assent and he pulled up a chair.

Silence.

She had expected him to dive right into the typical, fratboy-esque lines. So what brings her to France? What cool sights had she seen so far? What were her plans for later? Would she like to grab a drink? But it shocked her to see that he actually seemed a bit nervous, sitting in front of her. He had finally taken off his dark shades, and she realized with a jolt that his eyes were the deepest shade of blue she had ever seen. She took a moment to get lost in them, learning forward just slightly while he continued to collect his courage to speak. She didn't care that she was staring at him; he was staring back. The two jumped when they realized that they had been joined by a third person.

"Pardon me, mademoiselle, but I 'ave zee wine selections you 'ave ordered from Monsieur Bonhomme." The waiter bowed to Kory and then left, leaving her with a small bag of three different bottles.

Richard's irises immediately forgotten, she put the bag on the table and ruffled through it with bright eyes, taking out a bottle in each hand and scanning the labels eagerly. Richard pulled the third bottle out of the bag and looked at it, then looked back at Kory who had become lost into her own world. He cleared his throat, but her attention stayed glued to the bottle in her right hand.

"Wow, uh, you really like wine." Richard commented lamely. Kory nodded absently, a small smile playing on her lips.

"Mhmm, I grew up at a winery. My parents have quite a few labels." She was pulled from her reverie immediately. _What in the world is wrong with me today? He doesn't need to know my whole life's story._

"Oh, wow, that's really cool. Is it anything I might recognize?" Richard asked, genuinely trying to extend the conversation. Kory stiffened for just a moment, so briefly that Richard mightn't have noticed had he not been studying her thoroughly. Calmly putting her wine bottles back in her bag, she leaned forward and tugged the third bottle out of Richard's hand and put it into the bag, as well. Kory rose, and Richard did as well, startling her a bit at his surprising show of manners.

"Perhaps. But then again there'd be no way of knowing whether you actually knew what you were talking about, or if you had simply hidden your phone under the table and looked it up online." Richard was at a loss for words, but that hardly mattered as Kory turned and left the dining room as soon as her comment landed.

Kory smirked to herself as she left the room, bidding a quick adieu to the others on the tour and thanking Clement for a lovely day - this time without offering her hand. Richard really was quite cute when he wasn't quipping.

Richard watched Kory make her graceful exit, feeling more and more impressed with her by the minute. She was different than any other girl he had ever met, and he didn't plan on letting her slip away so easily. Gesturing to the closest waiter, he asked for his tab so he could settle his bill and leave immediately. Then, on impulse, he asked to settle Ms. Anders' tab as well.  
_

Kory hummed to herself as she patiently waited for the staff member to bring her tab to the entrance hall. She didn't mind the wait, as she thought the simple yet elegant designs and select few pieces of artwork that Monsieur Bonhomme had likely hand-chosen were wonderful. She wandered around the hall, looking from piece to piece and trying to burn the images into her memory so she could draw up some sketches when she got home. She was still looking for a trademark image for her labels, something to set her blends aside from those of her parents.

She was drawn from her thoughts when she heard someone clear their throat behind her. Expecting the staff member, she turned around with a pleasant smile gracing her features. Her eyes fell upon Richard's face, instead. He had put his shades back on, she noticed, and fought the urge to roll her eyes.

"Hi," she said rather bluntly. She winced at her own tone when she saw Richard's eager smile falter a bit. She wasn't trying to be rude, and Richard didn't bother her half has much as she allowed him to believe, but she really was exhausted from the day and had been looking forward to settling her bill and getting back to her hostel as quickly as possible.

"Hullo," he offered a bit lamely, clearly losing his nerve due to her cold demeanor. She studied his face in the silence that followed. The corners of his mouth were down-turned just slightly, and it looked like he had run his fingers through his long, slightly curly hair a few times on his way out to meet her. He had also pulled his leather jacket back on, apparently he was ready to leave as well. She looked at him and he looked anywhere but back at her. She felt bad and decided she should try to be a bit nicer, so she cleared her throat and almost smiled when he looked up at her hopefully. Again it struck her that he really was very cute.

"Sorry, I am not trying to be rude. I just feel very tired and am looking forward to getting back to my hostel to rest." She smiled at him softly, and he nodded in understanding.

"No worries, I just thought you might want to split a ride back to our hostels. We could save at least one driver the hassle of finding a tiny backpacker's hostel." Even though he kept his hands in his pockets and his face nonchalant while he made the suggestion, Kory thought she could sense a bit of nervousness lacing the words just slightly. It was too bad she would have to disappoint him.

"That's a really nice thought, but as it turns out my hostel is actually in walking distance of this particular winery. I was just going to settle my bill and find my own way home." She made sure to smile as she said it so he wouldn't take it too hard, but was shocked to see him smile in earnest instead of pouting like she had expected.

"Well, as for your bill, that's been settled. And I know you've been fawned over all day, but I assure you I really just wanted to split a ride. Just spend five quiet minutes with me on your way home, and I promise I won't bother you. I won't even talk if you don't want me to!" He made the motion of zipping his lips and she quirked a brow in response.

"Thank you, but you really should not have paid for my things. I simply cannot allow it, please tell me how much I owe you." As she made to pull her wallet out of her purse, he closed the distance between them in three long strides and took her hand in his. She looked up at him to see him regarding her very seriously.

"Mad-ee-moy-zell, I beleef you haff a remaining balance of one shared ride 'ome. Would you like to pay weeth cash or cred-eet?"

She couldn't help herself. She laughed.

Giving in, she accepted the arm he offered her and allowed herself to be steered towards the doors.

"Your French accent really is awful," she said cheekily, glancing up at him as they made their way over to the row of parked cars waiting to take them home.

He feigned confusion. "French? Why in the world would I be trying for French? That was meant to be Cantonese." She giggled again, despite herself.  
_

Her slight amusement at Richard's playfulness had soon given way to serious irritation once more. Kory groaned and rested her head against the cool window pane of the car as they rolled slowly forward for three inches before coming to yet another dead stop.

Richard drummed his fingers on the arm rest, avoiding catching her eye. She could tell he felt guilty, but she was too frustrated with the current situation to feel much sympathy for him. Today was apparently La Fête de la Musique, a country-wide music festival that took place at various street corners, bars, and cafes throughout all of France. If she had taken a moment to think about it, she would have remembered reading a bit about it on the plane ride over.

However, instead of keeping a clear head, she had allowed a certain blue-eyed stranger to coax her into taking a car to drive her ten blocks down the street, on one of the busiest days of the French calendar year. It was not all his fault, she knew that. But that certainly didn't stop her from huffing and puffing and making her annoyance with the situation very clear.

Richard got the message loud and clear, she was sure of it. For the first ten minutes of the car ride, he had tried making small talk - passing the minutes with little jokes and facts about Carcassonne that he clearly thought she would find interesting. Finally, after it was obvious that they weren't going to be moving any time soon, he tapped lightly on the partition and asked the driver what was going on.

Upon hearing that they were driving through what was essentially a country-wide concert, the color drained slowly from Richard's face. He thanked the driver and glanced apologetically at Kory as the partition slowly moved up. She was livid.

"Kory, I'm so sorry. If you want to get out and walk from here I won't blame you," he began. She smiled grimly, her eyes flashing, and she could have sworn he actually gulped a bit and recoiled when she spoke in what she knew was a horrifyingly calm, sweet voice.

"In what direction is your hostel, Richard?" She was satisfied to see him wince as she said his name. She knew she was terrifying when she was angry. All Anders women were.

He pointed in the opposite direction than the one that they were moving. She closed her eyes and leaned her head back against the seat, rubbing her temples.

"I feared as much. If I get out now, the driver will be stuck moving in this direction for several more blocks before he can turn around. That would be dreadfully inconsiderate of me...No, I will simply have to stay." She supposed she was talking more to herself than she was Richard, but he answered her anyway much to her frustration.

"No, really, I'm sure it's fine. I'll just ask him to pull over, and -" he began, but she snapped at him, cutting him off.

"I said I will stay."

He heard the finality in her tone, she could tell, because he didn't press the issue. The two sat in silence for several more minutes before Richard attempted conversation one more time.

"It's Dick."

She blinked her eyes open, she had been dozing off. Holding off a yawn, she turned her head only a fraction of an inch in his direction to indicate that he had her attention.

"What I mean is, I introduced myself as Richard, because that's my full name. Kind of a formality...But really it's just Dick. All of my friends call me Dick." He offered her a small smile. This time it was not returned.

"Yes, Richard, I am sure they do." She waited patiently as the joke landed, and was pleased to see his face color a bit before he scowled and looked out of the window.

Smiling slightly she allowed her eyes to slide closed once more, this time feeling quite confident that the silence would not be broken again for the remainder of the ride.

 **Sorry internet in Thailand is sketchy, the maintenance took a bit longer than expected. Should have the next pair of chapters up over the weekend. Also, please note that the title has been changed one final time. Thank you so much for reading and reviewing! This is a fun story to write...Up next, Spain!**


	3. Chapter 3

Setting: Barcelona, Spain. June 23rd.

POV: Kory

Stifling a yawn, Kory plopped down onto her comfy hotel bed. She took a few moments to revel in the softness of the blankets and fluffiness of the pillows before using her toes to slide her sandals off of her feet, one foot at a time, and scooting herself up so that she was sitting against the headboard.

She looked around the room as she pulled her laptop into her lap and opened it to her email. It had been a while since she had been in a room that was so pretty. She didn't mind the simple hostel rooms that she had been staying in so far, but every now and then it was nice to treat yourself to something a little more comfortable.

She had just arrived in Barcelona for a ten-day guided tour that she was signed up for, and she would never admit it but she was quite looking forward to feeling a bit pampered at the guest houses and hotels that she would be staying in with the group.

The bus ride from Carcassonne had only been a six hour trip, but as always she had procrastinated with packing her bags and had to stay up late the night before getting all of her things together. And she always found it impossible to sleep on buses, so she was definitely looking forward to napping for a couple of hours before the meet and greet in the lobby took place that evening.

But first, FREE WI-FI.

Grinning a bit wildly, she waited patiently for her email to load. She couldn't remember the last time she had been able to connect to fast, reliable internet. Going down the list of her unopened emails, she found what she was looking for - Donna's reply!

The day after her winery tour in Carcassonne, she had found a cozy little internet cafe to send a quick few lines to her friends and family about what she had been up to since the last time she had been able to chat. She let her parents know she was safe and still having fun, she sent another email to her sister asking again if she would want to video chat any time in the near future (fat chance), and then she wrote a few paragraphs to her best friend about the tour and Carcassonne.

Scanning Donna's lengthy email, she rolled her eyes and resisted the urge to laugh out loud. At the end of the email she had sent, Kory had given in and included a couple lines describing Richard and their brief encounter. Naturally, Donna had bypassed everything else that Kory had written her and composed a response that instead centered completely on the handsome stranger.

 _Kory!_

 _OMG this man sounds positively delicious. So...let me get this straight. You get to the tour and there's only old people and you and a dreamy man who is clearly into you. He's witty, charming, and doesn't say anything vulgar to try and pick you up. He doesn't imply in any way that he's only after a roll in the sack. He does cute little things to try and get close to you and engage you in conversation and witty banter._

 _You decide that, or whatever reason, you aren't into him. So you blow him off for an entire day and the man STILL pays for three expensive bottles of wine that you picked out on your own, and makes sure you get home safely? Am I getting this all correct? You were very brief in your last email, but I know you Kor. I fleshed this all out in my mind and I have to say Kory I think you were a bit hard on the guy. From what I can tell, he sounds yummy and sweet and you shot him down with no mercy._

 _I mean I love it, don't get me wrong. Girl power is my middle name...but you know, the next time you have an encounter with a cute guy who wants to buy you things and stare at you, maybe you can try to be a little more patient with him? The Richard guy obviously liked you..._

 _I worry about you sometimes. Not everyone you date is going to turn out like Karras._

 _Anyway, send me tons of pics from Spain. Your trip sounds magical so far. Maybe I can take a week or so off and meet you up at some point? Just a thought. I miss my best friend._

 _Take care of yourself, Kor. Love you, Donna xx_

Kory knew Donna meant well, but she couldn't help but to feel a little annoyed that her best friend had taken Richard's side over hers. And how was she even able to discern so much of the story from the few lines that Kory had written about her encounter with the strange man?

Frowning in earnest now, she wrote back a quick response. She promised plenty of Spain pictures, and since it was too late to patch things up with Richard, she vowed to give the next guy a fair chance before shutting him down. Feeling as though that ought to be enough to satisfy Donna for a day or so, she hit send and shut her laptop. Yawning again, she stretched her arms out, spreading her fingers and moaning a bit as she felt her sore muscles twist and turn.

She thought about Donna's scolding. Had she been too hard on Richard? Even though she hadn't made a direct connection in her mind between her ex-boyfriend Karras and the suave man that she had met on the tour, she wondered if maybe her subconscious was trying to shield her from being vulnerable with anyone after that disaster of a relationship. If that was the case, she did owe Richard an apology for shutting him down without actually considering what he had to offer, but she supposed it was all irrelevant at this point since she had no way of ever seeing him again.

She thought about the cold way things had ended between them _...the poor driver had waded through over an hour of traffic and uncaring pedestrians before finally arriving at Kory's nearby hostel. By this time, she had fallen asleep, and Richard had given her shoulder a light squeeze to wake her up. Rubbing her eyes, Kory wondered wildly where she was for a moment before the events of the day finally caught up to her._ _The two stared awkwardly at each other for three very long moments before anyone dared speak._

 _"Thank you for my wine." Kory said._

 _"No problem. Thanks for sharing a ride home with me." replied Richard stoically._

 _"Please do not do the mentioning of it." Kory tried not to groan, her English was slipping, and she knew that Richard had caught it by the way he had raised an eyebrow at her use of words. She wasn't sure why she was nervous, but she did know that it was time for her to leave. Grabbing her shawl, purse, and bag of wine bottles, she opened the door and stuck one leg out. After a moment's hesitation, she turned back around and stuck out her hand formally for Richard to take._

 _Richard snorted, highly amused at the awkward finality of the situation, and shook the blushing girl's hand before her fingers slipped out of his grip and the door shut behind her._

Kory leaned her head back against the headboard and allowed her bright green eyes to slide shut...and was shocked to find that the first thing she saw when she blocked out the room by closing her eyes, were Richard's shocking blue ones. She came to with a start.

She needed a nap.

Kory quickly stood up and put her laptop on the bedside table. She then pulled back the covers and fluffed the pillows a few times, moving past her uncomfortable reflection on Richard and suddenly feeling very excited about burying herself in blanket and escaping the hustle and bustle of solo travel for a few hours.

She unzipped the back of her dress and let it fall to her ankles before stepping out of it. She was just wondering where in her suitcase she had stashed her favorite oversized shirt to sleep in when she heard the click of the door being unlocked, and the sound of a suitcase being rolled through the doorway.

Squealing in excitement, she turned to greet her new roommate for the duration of the tour.

"New friend!"cried Kory, spreading her arms wide and stepping forward.

"Whoa!" exclaimed the petite, pale girl at almost the same time. She dropped her rucksack and covered her eyes, backing up until she was pressed up against the door.

"Oh, apologies, friend," murmered Kory, as she pulled her dress back up and hastily zipped it. "I was just preparing to take the nap when you entered our temporary living quarters, and -"

The pale girl put up a hand to silence the now blushing Kory.

"It's fine. You just startled me. My name is Rachel. You have an accent that I'm not familiar with." Kory blinked at the girl a few times before smiling shyly. She was very pretty. Small and thin and pale, with dark hair cut in an asymmetrical bob. Kory wasn't certain, but it looked from here as if her hair had been cellophane-tinted with a deep violet color, which suited her small facial features and pale complexion very well.

After taking her new roommate in, Kory sat on her bed and smiled a bit more broadly as Rachel picked up her suitcase and the bag she had dropped and moved into the room.

"I did not mean to startle you. Allow me to start over and introduce myself properly. My name is Kory, and I believe I am to be your roommate for the duration of our tour through Spain. You have picked up on my accent, which admittedly is more pronounced whenever I am nervous...I am from the small island of Tamaran, and while I was given the opportunity to study English from a young age, it is not my native language and I still struggle with it at times. I hope that over the course of this tour we are able to get to know each other and grow quite fond of each other's company!" Kory clasped her hands in front of her face and took a deep breath while Rachel processed all of the information that she had just been given. Kory was just beginning to wonder if she should repeat herself (as she had delivered the first introduction rather quickly and breathlessly) when the girl finally spoke again.

"Wow, okay. That was a lot...Kory, was it?" she began in her signature monotone, "I don't really do, uh...friendships." Kory wilted a little, and Rachel hurried to continue.

"But I can tell that you are a good person. And I would be lying if I said you weren't already the single most interesting person I think I've ever met, so...I'm sure we'll get along fine. It's nice to meet you."

Rachel studied the eccentric girl's face, and was slightly relieved to see it break out into a wide smile. Before she knew what was happening, the redhead bolted across the room, gave her a bone-crushing hug, and then retreated back to her bed. Clutching her rib-cage, Rachel managed to wheeze out "but don't do that again."

Giggling, Kory nodded her assent as she climbed back into her bed. Still sore, Rachel settled into her own bed and pulled a hardback book out of her bag. A few minutes later, the sound of Kory's even breathing filled the room, and Rachel couldn't help but feel as though her energy was already mysteriously strongly in sync with the bubbly woman she was to be sharing a living space with for the next two weeks.

Putting down _Ruin and Restitution_ , a fascinating read about the ancient ruins and civilizations of Spain, she turned towards Kory and studied her in a totally non-creepy way while the girl dozed off.

Kory was absolutely gorgeous, but Rachel couldn't help but feel that she didn't quite know the magnitude of her beauty. And judging from the fact that she had stripped to her undergarments again before falling asleep, modesty wasn't exactly a thing on Tamaran - wherever that was. The redhead didn't let it on much, but Rachel's intuition told her that there was much more to Kory than the innocent, overtly friendly first impression she had made on Rachel. She sensed that the girl knew something about suffering and sorrow, much more than the average person. Maybe that's why Rachel felt so at ease around the girl, despite how little she knew about her? Frowning at her own uncharacteristic show of interest in her new roommate, she settled back into her book, smiling lightly despite herself.

She wasn't sure why she liked this weird girl so much, but one thing was absolutely certain...it looked like she was in for a _very_ interesting ten days.


	4. Chapter 4

**Setting** : Barcelona, evening of June 23rd

 **POV** : Richard

"No. NO WAY." Vic shook his head adamantly before taking another long drink of his beer.

"Dude, if you wanna challenge me, go right ahead. But I am _telling_ you, I am _undefeated_ in Mega Monkeys 4, so when MM 5 comes out I'm taking names and counting numbers!" Gar wiggled his eyebrows cockily and sipped his own beer, oblivious to the looks his two new friends were giving him.

"Wait wait wait. What did you just say?" Richard asked, fighting to keep the laughter out of his voice.

"I said when Mega Monkeys 5 comes out I'm taking names and counting numbers!" Gar repeated himself, putting emphasis on every word of the phrase.

Victor and Richard looked at each other and burst out laughing. Gar frowned.

"Dude, what the heck is so funny?"

"Th-that's not how the s-saying goes!" Vic choked out between deep barks of laughter.

"Aw, man. Shit that was funny." Rich sat up straight, wiping tears from his eyes. "You're buying the next round for that one, man."

"What? Dude no way! I had to buy the first two rounds last night -" Gar began his protest before Vic cut him short.

"Look. You know the rules. If you do something stupid, you buy the next round. Ain't nobody tell you to be extra stupid."

Gar grumbled to himself as he waved the bartender over for the next round of beers.

Richard chuckled a couple more times as he finished off the rest of his beer. He had only been in Barcelona for a day and a half now, but already he was glad that he had signed up for this tour of Spain. After the Kory debacle in Carcassonne, he had looked up group tours online, found and signed up for this 10 day Spain excursion, and booked a bus ticket to Barcelona directly upon reaching his hostel that evening. It was all very last-minute, but that's how he liked to travel - no set plans, no expectations. Just going wherever he belonged next.

The idea of an extended group tour scared him a little bit, to be honest. Having set itineraries and being required to be with a specific group of people for multiple days at a time kind of freaked him out. But as soon as the driver pulled away from Kory's hostel, he knew that he needed a quick change of scenery. Plus, this tour allowed a lot of flexibility for people who wanted to do their own exploring and meet up with the rest of the group later, and knowing he had that option really helped ease Richard into the idea of doing something like this.

So, he booked everything and got on a bus early the next morning, reaching Barcelona and checking into his hotel room by late afternoon. He slept off his weariness from the trip until the evening, and then peeled himself out of bed to wander downstairs and find something to eat.

He happened upon Gar and Victor arguing over where to go for dinner in the lobby, and discovered that not only were they also on his tour, but the pair were roommates in the hotel room across the hall. The three strangers hit it off right away, and by the next day considered themselves friends.

They had spent the night meandering about the city, and now found themselves sitting at the hotel bar and watching the door as they waited for the rest of their tour group to arrive for the meet and greet that was scheduled to kick off the tour. So far, they were reasonably certain that a few members of their group had walked in: first, a tall, thin redhead and a sulky looking girl with lavender hair who seemed to be his girlfriend had walked in holding hands and found a quiet corner of the bar to alternate between arguing loudly and making out; next was a tall, pretty African-American girl with her hair neatly separated into two small afro puffs (Vic whistled as she walked in and Gar quirked a brow, but the boys had agreed not to call dibs on any of their fellow group members until all had been seen); and lastly, two blonde girls who were cute enough, but were both glued to their iPhones, had entered together and found a table by the door.

The only other person in the quiet bar was a man in his late forties, early fifties, who had been there reading what seemed to be the business section of the New York Times long before the three boys had taken up their own post by the door. With just fifteen minutes until the meeting was scheduled to start, Richard looked around and wondered where everyone else was.

Almost at that exact moment, Victor gave voice to Richard's thoughts. "Man I hope we ain't in the wrong place. Almost time for the shindig to start and the bar is dead!"

"Yeah, I was just wondering about that," Richard agreed. Then he was struck with a less-than-ideal thought. "Shit, you don't think we're gonna be stuck in a group of old people, do you?"

Gar shook his head, hurrying to swallow the drink of beer he had just taken so that he could speak.

"Nah dude, we like totally lucked out!" Vic and Rich gave each other skeptical glances while Gar beamed at the pair of them, hardly able to contain his excitement about something.

"No I'm serious! Check it: I called the tour agency like a week ago to switch my booking from a single room to a shared room, and I was all like 'but don't stick me with anyone boring. And he's gotta be down for some funky fresh adventures cuz that's just how I roll. And he's gotta know how to be a good wingman, cuz I'm tryna get my flirt on. And also -"

"Get to the point or buy another round." Richard deadpanned while Victor rolled his eyes.

"No! Okay, well anyway, the dude on the phone was like, 'you don't have to worry about being bored cuz I've seen most of the other people signed up for the tour cuz like passports and stuff, and they're all your same age. And there's a ton of super hot girls!' And he said he's totally jealous and that it never works out like this, but that it looks like we have a super awesome group." Gar stuck his hand out for a high five that neither of his friends obliged. "Dudes, come on! This is gonna be like Spring Break, Girls Gone Wild! Get pumped!"

Vic shook his head and gave his friend a quick high five. "Man I'm all for the sexy ladies, but Spain ain't no Spring Break destination."

"Yeah, true but there's already more hot girls in here than there are guys, so it looks like the odds are in our favor." Gar said, wiggling his eyebrows up and down.

"Are you counting that cute purpley girl over there with the boyfriend?" Victor asked, laughing at his friend's antics.

"Well sure, her too. But a couple more just walked in and these ones are the real deal!" Gar said, eyes wide.

Victor whipped his head around to see who Gar was talking about and gave another long, low whistle.

"Another purple girl! That must be a thing right now... _Damn_ they fine. Dick get a look at these new additions. It might be time to start calling dibs cuz they are gonna go fa-a-aast!" Victor nudged his friend with his elbow, realizing for the first time that it had been a while since Dick had participated in the conversation.

Richard just shook his head and smiled, not bothering to turn around from the bar to face the door.

"I'm sure they look good, and don't get me wrong - I'll steal both of them from you in a heartbeat. But I've already seen the most beautiful girl in the world, so I can't get too excited about the runners up just yet." Richard smiled, taking a long sip from his beer and refusing to budge.

Victor and Gar exchanged raised eyebrows over the top of his head before bursting into laughter simultaneously. This shocked Richard, who frowned in response.

"What is so funny?" He asked, a little annoyed.

"Nothin' man, nothin'. We just didn't know you were in _lurve_ _eee_!" Victor said teasingly.

Richard growled, suddenly feeling defensive. "I never said I was in love! I'm not even in 'like'. It was just this girl I met in Carcassonne. She was absolutely gorgeous, that's all."

"Well these two really aren't half-bad...I call the purple-haired one! Or that blonde over there in the corner who's been giving me the sexy eyes since she sat down." Gar said, winking at no one in particular since there wasn't anyone looking.

"Nah they're both out of your league. Better let me have both purple-haired girls, and that one with the cute ass hair puffs. Dick can take the blondes and you can console the ginger man after I've stole his chick!" Victor said, raising his eyebrow and smiling cockily.

"So who gets the redhead who just walked in with the sexy goth? Cuz she's pretty damn fine" Gar said.

"Nah she's out of all of our leagues...Even Dick's." Victor said, matter-of-factly.

"First off, no one's calling dibs yet, and second no one is out of my league. And even if she was, she still wouldn't hold a candle to Kory." Rich said, finishing off his beer again.

"Kory?" Gar asked.

"Yeah, the girl from France! I'm telling you man, she was unreal. Long wavy red hair, golden-tanned skin, legs for days -" Richard began dreamily. Vic squinted his eyes at the redhead who had just walked in.

"Uhh, Dick? Does this Kory chick have a sister..? Cuz what you're describing looks a lot like -" Vic started, but Rich gave no indication of having heard him and continued.

"Her eyes were bright green, she was tall and slim...Her voice was _so_ sexy, and she had some sort of accent that made her talk funny but it was so innocent and just, I don't know man, it was intoxicating -" Richard continued, really on a roll now. Gar sat up suddenly and nudged his friend, his eyes wide as saucers.

"Dude, she's coming straight for you! I think she recognizes you," Gar said, sounding positively alarmed. Unfortunately, Dick was lost to the world, and continued on.

"She was really smart and sort of sarcastic. I liked that she had a bit of an edge to her, that was intriguing. And don't even get me started on her body, because those curves were just - mmmmmmmmmm!" Dick made the curvy woman silhouette hand motions and shut his eyes, completely gone at this point.

"Richard?" Dick's eyes shot open, growing wide. It felt like a bucket of ice water had been dropped into his stomach. Slowly turning around on his bar stool, he came face to face with the very woman whose curves he had just been reconstructing with his hands. His face felt hot. All three boys sat glued to the spot, feeling as though they had been frozen in time. Kory looked torn between feeling uncomfortable and giving in to the sheer amusement at the situation. The silence seemed to last forever, but Richard couldn't seem to remember how to form words.

He opened his mouth, then shut it again very quickly without saying anything. Kory looked at him in mild concern. Finally, painfully, Dick forced his mouth to move again, this time successfully.

"Kory. Wow...hi." Okay, _somewhat_ successfully. Inwardly, he groaned at his awkwardness. She gifted him a playful smile, but did not comment on his lack of eloquence.

Before anyone else could speak, Gar leaned over towards Richard and Victor and spoke to them behind his hand in a very audible whisper.

"Dudes, I totally call dibs on Kory!" He then leaned his elbows back onto the bar and smiled smugly at them. Both boys glared back. Clearing her throat, Kory fought to keep the amusement from her face.

"Well, _Richard_ , it was nice to see you again." Turning, she went to join the purple-haired girl she had walked in with, and the two girls left to find seats together.

Richard swung back around on his stool and put his face flat on the bar, groaning. Shutting his eyes tight, he tried to let his embarrassment and shock drown out the rest of the world around him...

But not before he heard Vic lean over the top of him and smack Gar upside the head, laughing loudly and saying "Man you are totally buying the next round."

Something told Richard that he was in for a very, _very_ long 10 days.

 **What? Kory and Richard both in Spain? Signed up for the same tour group?! Who would have thought.**


	5. Chapter 5

**Setting** : Night train to Madrid, 3 AM June 25

 **POV** : Richard

Blinking his eyes and yawning silently, Richard wondered briefly why he was awake. He didn't have to wonder long, however, because he soon realized that there was someone knocking on the sliding door to his compartment. He shut his eyes tighter, hoping that if he didn't make any noise whoever was knocking would get the hint and go away.

It was the middle of the night, after all. And night trains were for sleeping.

The knocking only got more persistent so, grumbling, he swung his legs over the side of his bunk and put his bare feet on the floor. Taking a deep breath, he slid the door open a few inches fully intending on giving the unwarranted visitor a piece of his mind, but exhaled sharply when he saw who it was.

Also barefoot, and standing wide-eyed before him in the moonlight, was Kory. He quickly took note of her tousled red hair, of the small parcel tucked neatly beneath her arm, and of the faint blush that crept across her cheeks as she realized whose compartment she was at. Sliding the door the rest of the way open, Richard stared blankly at her and tried not to marvel at how beautiful she looked in the soft moonlight that fell across her face from the compartment window behind him.

"R-Richard!" she looked completely shocked, and for a split second Richard felt compelled to apologize for startling her before remembering that it was she who had woken him up and not the other way around. She continued, still struggling to regain a bit of composure. "I am deeply sorry for waking you! Had I known that this was your compartment I surely would never have..." she took a steadying breath and shifted the small parcel she was carrying so that she was clutching it to her chest. Her body language told Richard that she was feeling very vulnerable and unsure. The train gave a slight lurch, and Kory reached out with her free hand on impulse to steady herself by grasping the door frame, but somehow found Richard's hand instead. He realized that he too had reacted on instinct and had moved toward her to keep her from falling over.

Frowning, and suddenly feeling both very alert as well as mildly warm in the face, Richard gently pulled Kory inside and offered her a seat on his bed, reaching up to turn on his overhead lights before shutting his compartment door and sitting down beside her.

Blinking, Kory gifted him a small smile and tucked a stray piece of hair behind her ear before looking down into her lap.

"Uh...Kory, is everything-"

"I did not realize this was your-"

They smiled at each other, each embarrassed at having talked over the other. Richard made a gesture for Kory to continue, and she obliged.

"I just have trouble sleeping on buses or trains. I was under the impression that Rachel's compartment was situated near to mine, but I must have misunderstood her when she gave me her compartment number. I had hoped that Rachel would be up reading as she often is at this hour, and that she would not mind if I accompanied her and worked on some sketches..." Kory shook her head, almost talking to herself at this point, and spared Richard a glance as she rose to leave, saying in a falsely cheery voice, "No matter! I have disturbed your slumber for far too long. I apologize greatly, Richard, and I wish you a pleasant slumber."

Grabbing her hand gently, Richard ignored the lurch in his stomach as their skin met, and tugged her back towards the bed. She sat back down and looked at him curiously.

"I don't think I've ever heard your accent before. Where are you from?" Richard asked, wondering if he ought to have worded that differently when he saw her cheeks grow a deeper shade of red. "No! It's really cute. Your accent is, I mean. I'm sorry I didn't mean to sound so direct, I've just been wondering where you were from since...well, since Carcassonne." Richard said quickly. She smiled.

"Not to worry Richard! I was only slightly embarrassed that my accent had become so pronounced this evening. I will admit that it gets stronger when I am flustered, and I really do feel terrible for waking you. I am from the small island of Tamaran, and while I was able to study English from a very young age, it is still my second language and at times I do struggle with the pronunciations and sentence structure." Kory said with the mechanical air of someone who had been explaining her accent for several years.

Richard was just about to comment when Kory looked up at him and he saw that her face had suddenly grown quite serious. He choked back his words so that she would continue speaking.

"Speaking of Carcassonne..." Kory started, looking Richard straight in the face and reaching forward to take one of his hands into his, "Richard I would like to apologize for how I treated you during our time together at the wine tour. I made a snap decision about you, and allowed my frustrations with unrelated factors get the best of me. You were being kind and generous, and I should not have been so cold to you. Will you forgive me?"

Her apology was finished, but Richard couldn't help but feel as he stared into her big green eyes that they were still speaking to him. He felt almost dizzy, like he was literally being swallowed whole by her irises. He saw her brow furrow and fought to pull himself back from his silent reverie: he need to say something before she thought he was mad at her.

Squeezing her hand with his, (an act that was done as much to comfort her as it was to ground himself), he offered her a genuine smile.

"Kory, that's very sweet of you. But there's really no need to apologize...I saw you, I thought you were beautiful, and I made a bigger ass of myself than normal. Really, no harm done." She showed the slightest hint of a flinch at his language, but he was pleased to see her relax into an easy smile at his words.

"Richard, I am so comforted by the fact that you do not hold my coldness against me! I would be very much pleased if you and I were to be friends."

Finally starting to feel comfortable himself, Richard returned her genuine smile. "Nothing would make me happier. Friends?" he asked, as he stuck out his hand for her to shake.

With a grip much stronger than the one he was anticipating, Kory grabbed his outstretched hand and shook it.

"Friends!" she beamed.

"Good." Richard said, "and now that that's out of the way - did you say that you wanted to do some sketching? Because I could stand to get a little work done, myself."

Kory frowned slightly, shaking her head. "Oh, no! Richard, I have kept you awake long enough. I am sure that you wish to return to your state of slumber, and I shall sketch in my own compartment, so as not to disturb anyone else!"

"Nah, I'm awake now. Might as well answer some work emails and stuff so I don't have to worry about it tomorrow. You don't have to stay, but if you want to keep me company you're more than welcome to stick around." Richard said, standing up to get his laptop bag out of his overhead storage compartment.

Nodding silently and barely suppressing a very wide smile, Kory moved to sit on the floor, carefully unwrapping the parcel she had brought and taking from it her sketching materials. Richard watched in fascination as she spread her pencils out neatly before her and opened her sketch pad in her lap. She moved with quiet familiarity, and Richard gathered from the way she arranged everything that she liked to sketch in a similar position more often than not.

Kory flipped through her sketch pad to find a blank page, getting to almost halfway through the thick pad before finding a free space. Without missing a beat, Kory stuck one of the thinner pencils behind her ear, and picked up one of the thicker pencils to start putting bold lines on the page in quick, fluid strokes.

Tearing his eyes away, Richard booted up his laptop and connected it to his small internet hotspot device. If he didn't start busying himself, he'd waste the whole night watching her sketch.

Not that watching Kory was a waste, but he really liked the idea of having a genuine friendship with her and he couldn't shake the feeling that creeping her out by watching her draw for several hours might not be the best start. He also had been neglecting his work emails, and wanted to avoid another nasty confrontation with Bruce about his duty as an heir to a multi-billion dollar corporation.

 _Twenty-seven unread emails in 36 hours, beautiful_. Richard thought, barely suppressing a groan. _Maybe it's a good thing that Kory woke me up._

And with that comforting thought, Richard dove into his work.

The two had been sitting in companionable silence for almost an hour before Kory spoke, shattering the silence as though she were continuing a conversation from only a few moments before.

"I know nothing about you." Richard jumped at the sound of her voice, but she hadn't even looked up from her sketch. Instead, she was filling in small details and working on the shadows and highlights of the structure - Richard realized with start that she was drawing Casa Battlo, one of the many sites they had seen in Barcelona, from memory. And she was doing a damn good job.

Richard laughed awkwardly. He had always sensed that she was very sweet and somewhat innocent, but the more time he spent with her, the more he realized that she could be very direct when she wanted to be. He decided he liked that about her, it contrasted her friendly nature and made her seem very real, and very rounded.

She looked up from her drawing to find him studying her. He realized, embarrassed, that he still hadn't spoken. He hurried to correct his mistake as she arched a brow at him.

"Uhh, you're right. What would you like to know?" Richard said, hoping he sounded much less caught off guard than he felt. If she noticed anything odd, she didn't let it show.

"Hmm, well how about we start with the basics. How old are you Richard? And where are you from?" she replied, still working away at her sketch.

"Okay. Well, let's see. I'm twenty-four, and I'm from Gotham...That's in America." He added after a slight pause, unsure of whether or not she needed clarification.

She smiled, unoffended. "Oh, I know of Gotham! I considered attending Gotham University, but ultimately chose to receive my degree from Jump City College of the Arts."

"Aw, no way! We could have been classmates." Richard said, waggling his eyebrows at her playfully. She laughed.

"So you went to Gotham U, then?" she asked, her pencil in motion again.

"Ahh, no. I took a tour of the campus and really liked it, but after high school I ended up just going straight into the family business.. I went to college, but if I had I'd like to think that Gotham University would have been my choice." _Especially if I had known you were there._

Kory looked up once more from her drawing with a curious expression on her face, almost as though she could read his thoughts. Richard fought back the blush he knew was starting to inch across his face, and busied himself with his emails again. After a few more minutes of silence, it was his turn to disrupt the quiet.

"So I've told you a bit about me, isn't it your turn?" She smiled playfully, but didn't look up from her drawing. It was nearly finished.

"What would you like me to tell?" He smiled at her tone, loving how easily they had fallen into companionable banter.

"Well, I'm a bit further ahead than you. You told me a bit about yourself in Carcassonne, remember? I know your parents own a winery. I know you grew up on an exotic island that I've never been to but I've heard of a few times. And now I know where you went to college. So how about we get a bit deeper? Why are you in Spain?" He studied her for a sign of reluctance at deepening the conversation, but to his surprise he saw none. Instead, she furrowed her brow in thought, and stuck the pencil she was working with behind her ear, leaning back onto the compartment door and forgetting about her sketch for the time being. He shut his laptop quietly, following suit.

"Well, when I graduated I felt...oh I don't know, lost? I went back to Tamaran and spent a year developing a few of my own wine blends, and my parents allowed me to manufacture them using my own label. They were well received, and my parents wanted me to continue on, but I still felt like I was missing something. I told them that I wanted to take a year to travel and find inspirations for unique flavors and blends, and that's partially true...Really, I am just going wherever I feel my heart is leading me. I would be happy to go back and work in the winery for the rest of my life, so long as I have seen the world and I know for certain that it is where I am meant to be. Until then, I sort of feel like I belong...anywhere. Does that make sense?" She looked up at him with an unreadable expression on her face (- was that nervousness?), then looked away quickly and he felt the sudden need to reassure her.

"Yeah. Yeah it does. I'm kind of in the same boat, actually." He paused for a moment to read her expression but she continued to avert her eyes. He cleared his throat and went on. "Like I said, I started working for my...my dad, really young. And that was fine for a few years, you know, the money was good. But I just didn't feel right, I didn't feel like I was in the right spot. So I convinced him to let me take a year abroad, kind of a belated gap year. He wasn't too happy about it, but as long as I keep up with work emails and help him out with the workload every now and then by doing some stuff online, he won't say much. I don't know, I don't even really know what I'm looking for, and that can be scary...but I feel a lot closer to finding it now that I'm not staying in one place just for the sake of it, you know?"

They fell into silence after Richard finished speaking. She was fixated on a spot in the middle of the floor, but Richard was sure that she was looking at it without really seeing it, focused instead on the words he had just said. He studied her, wondering what she was thinking but not daring to ask.

Suddenly, the train gave a light jolt, and she was drawn out of her reverie. She looked up to meet his eyes for the first time in quite a while.

Emerald orbs met pools of cerulean; they held each other's gaze for what felt like eternity - both asking the same questions and curiously seeking the answers within each others' eyes. Neither one of them dared look away.

Very suddenly, Richard was struck with the realization that he had no idea what was going on. They were just sitting in a train compartment, staring into each other's eyes. Not knowing how to break the tension, but not wanting to look away first, Richard did the only thing that came naturally in this situation - made things awkward.

"Did we just fall in love?" He fought the sudden urge to smack himself on the forehead as soon as the words had left his mouth. For one second that felt like a lifetime, Kory arched one delicate eyebrow in consideration of his words. Then, as his statement sunk in, she threw her head back and tumbled into a a fit of laughter. After only a fraction of a second's hesitation, Richard followed suit. They laughed together for many full minutes.

Wiping tears from his eyes, Richard moved to join Kory on the floor as she closed her eyes and struggled to steady her breathing. When she opened them, she found Richard sitting in front of her with his hands outstretched. She looked at him, puzzled, until he clarified his actions by speaking.

"Can I see your sketch?" he asked, traces of laughter still in his eyes, but his tone indicating that his request was serious. She bit her lip; he got the sense that she was typically a bit shy with her work, but he hoped that the leaps and bounds they had taken in their friendship over the course of the last few hours would work in his favor. After a moment, she lifted her hands from her sketch book and allowed him to lean forward and tug it out of her lap.

He could feel her watching him intently as he flipped quickly through the pages to find the one she had been working on tonight. He passed sketches of landscapes, many of which he did not recognize; drawings of people who seemed to be Kory's friends and family members, and maybe even some of strangers; he even caught a glimpse of a few self portraits and fought the desire to stop and look at them fully. Finally, he reached the drawing of Cassa Battlo, taking in the way she had manipulated the shadows and highlights to reflect the sun setting just behind it and throwing it into a slightly eerie glow.

He gave a low whistle, feeling more than a little proud as he glanced up at her just in time to catch the ghost of a smile and the remnants of a blush creeping away from her cheeks. She was flattered, and he was pleased that he had caused it.

"This is really, really good Kory." she smiled broadly but seemed embarrassed, so he flipped the book closed and offered it to her. She took it from him and quickly put her pencils away, tucking the sketch pad and pencils neatly back into their case and closing the parcel. He watched her pack her things away, silently mourning the fact that their evening together was drawing to a close. After all was put away, she lifted her head and met his eyes once more. The two shared another moment, this time both feeling very at ease, before she spoke softly.

"Thank you for tonight, Richard."

"It was my pleasure, Kory."

Kory cleared her throat, averting her eyes once more and smiling at the ground. She spoke again in the same soft tone that made Richard feel slightly intoxicated by the sound of it.

"Have you finished with your work emails? I do not want to keep you up any longer than you wish to be." He could tell by the way her eyes darted up to his face searchingly and back down to the ground again that she was speaking in earnest.

"I'm finished, but I'm still not feeling very tired. Are you?" he asked, willing himself not to get too hopeful before she could answer. She seemed to relax a little.

"No, no I'm afraid not. I really do have trouble sleeping on trains. I cannot fall asleep in any moving vehicle, really, it makes me feel very...unsettled." He noticed her eyes cloud over with something unreadable but said nothing. That was a question for another night. She continued to speak. "I will most likely return to my compartment and watch the sunrise from my window, then read until we arrive in Madrid." She smiled, but her eyes were still full of something else. Richard studied her for only a moment before jumping up and grabbing his laptop. He reached over and spread the curtains of his train window a bit further apart, then settled back down on the ground, this time sitting next to her with his back against the door.

"Or," he began, opening his laptop and accessing his hard drive in the files, "you can stay here and watch the sunrise from _my_ compartment window, then watch a movie with me until we arrive in Madrid." He looked down at her, trying in vain to quell the butterflies that started up with a fury in his stomach when he saw how brightly she was smiling.

"Truly? Oh, Dick, that would be most glorious!" she exclaimed, clasping her hands together and drawing them into her chest cutely.

"One thing though, Kor. Can you keep calling me Richard?" he regarded her seriously as she drew her eyebrows together in confusion.

"But I thought you said that all of your friends are to call you Dick? Are we not friends?" he fought the urge to laugh at how cute she looked asking the question.

"No, we aren't friends. We're _best_ friends. And as my _best_ friend, I think it would be more distinctive if you call me by my full name." he smiled down at her teasingly, and she let a small giggle escape her lips before nodding seriously.

"Very well then, _best friend_ Richard - what movie are we to watch?"

He chuckled, leaning across her and grabbing the pillow from his bunk and settling the lap top on it in front of them just as the first rays of dawn began to rise in the distance. In the end, the two settled on watching _Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban_ \- one of Kory's favorites. The brilliant sunrise was lost on them, however, because not twenty minutes into the movie, Richard felt Kory's head drop onto his shoulder and realized that she had fallen fast asleep.

Feeling a strange mixture of immense pride that he had provided her with enough comfort to fall asleep on the floor of a moving train, and deep satisfaction at how this particular evening had panned out in his favor, Richard allowed himself to gloat for just a few minutes before nodding off himself.

Somewhere between the pair falling asleep and the train's arrival in Madrid, Richard had maneuvered himself so that he had both arms around Kory, and she had snuggled into his chest, feeling more settled than she had in a very long while.

The two were so comfortable that they didn't even wake up when the train slowed to a stop and dozens of feet stampeded past the compartment towards the door.

It wasn't until the door to Richard's compartment was opened and they tumbled over backwards that either of them even opened their eyes.

"Welcome to Madrid, lovebirds!" said a booming voice laced with laughter.

"Dude, no way!" said another voice in disbelief.

"Would you idiots move so they can get up and we can all get off of this train?" someone said in a dry monotone.

Richard and Kory blinked up at the figures looming over them. Among others, Kory was just able to pick out Rachel's slightly amused face, as well as Garfield looking shocked and Victor laughing triumphantly, before she covered her face with her hands and groaned in embarrassment.

"Shit." she heard Richard say to himself, beside her. And silently, she absolutely agreed.

 **Yay for new friendships!**


	6. Chapter 6

**Setting:** Madrid, afternoon June 24th

 **POV:** Kory

Kory rubbed her temples in mild frustration as her best friend's squeal echoed from her laptop.

After a day of group activities around Madrid, Kory had returned to her room with Rachel and Karen Beecher, a cute African American girl who was on the tour with them, in tow to Skype Donna and fill her in on what had happened since their last set of emails before the tour had started.

However, Kory was having difficulty getting anywhere with her story because Donna was fixated on one very specific detail: Richard.

"Oh my GOD Kor, this is like a romance novel or something. No I swear you're living life in a Rom-Com. So how long before he's fallen madly in love with you?" Donna exclaimed, seemingly without taking a breath in between sentences. Kory had just opened her mouth to respond when Karen leaned in from where she was sitting on the foot of Kory's bed to enter the frame.

"Hi Donna, Karen here. I know I've only known them for a few days, but the boy is already wrapped around Kory's little finger." Donna clapped her hands enthusiastically as Karen leaned back out.

"Yes! Ahh this is so exciting. Have you guys made out yet?" Kory opened her mouth to speak and was again defied the chance, this time by Rachel chiming in from her bed on the other side of the room.

"If they haven't yet, they certainly will soon." Rachel said with a small smile and her brow arched, listening to the conversation intently despite not having looked up from the book she was reading.

"Okay, that is quite enough out of you two!" Kory glared daggers at both of the other girls in the room; Karen laughed heartily and Rachel shrugged, a slightly mischievous smile still playing on her lips. Kory continued, "look, Donna. Nothing has happened with Richard, and nothing is going to happen. Richard and I are to remain friends and nothing more. I mean it!" she added that last part in response to Donna's doubtful look.

"I mean, to be fair, the girl has options." Karen chimed in again. Kory looked at her, genuinely confused. Karen rolled her eyes and grabbed the laptop, ready to dish her dirt. "So practically every man in the room drooled at the sight of her, and the poor girl had them all tripping over themselves to catch her attention that first night. But now that things have kind of calmed down and the testosterone is under wraps, the game has been narrowed down to two main players: Richard, and Xavier."

"Oooooooooh, tell me more!" Donna said, rubbing her hands together. Kory rolled her eyes and made to take the computer back, but Karen held it out of her reach and continued.

"So Xavier is our sexy tour guide. He has these deep, grey eyes that you can get lost in like mountains in the fog -."

"That's not an actual saying." Rachel deadpanned, still immersed in her book; she was promptly ignored.

"But he ain't, like, deep. He's fine, don't get me wrong, but I say that Richard is still in first place. He and Kory have this weird connection and some crazy chemistry. And he's also sexy. And the two cuddlebunnies spent the night together on the train, and -" Karen was interrupted again, this time by both Kory and Donna.

"THEY DID WHAT?!" Donna shouted, at the same exact time as Kory snatched the laptop and screamed, "IT'S NOT WHAT IT SOUNDS LIKE!"

Rachel momentarily was drawn away from her book as the two girls fell into silence, looking at each other. Slowly, calmly, Donna spoke in a slightly dangerous tone.

"Korina. Middle Name. Anders. You will tell me everything. This. Instant." Rachel and Karen exchanged nervous glances while Kory pouted but obliged her friend, her accent now slightly more pronounced.

"Okay, okay. It was honestly nothing! I could not fall asleep on the night train because I was feeling most unsettled. I decided to try and find Rachel to see if she was awake so that I could have some calming company while I sketched, but I went to Richard's compartment by mistake. He was kind enough to let me in and stayed awake with me. I apologized for my attitude in Carcassonne and we agreed to be friends. I sketched, he answered emails, we talked most briefly and sometime in the early morning we fell asleep watching a movie. That is all."

Silence. Donna was considering her friend. Kory held her gaze stubbornly.

"I believe you." Donna said slowly. Kory breathed a sigh of relief, but Donna continued. "I believe that you don't _think_ you like him. And I believe that you don't _think_ you two will have any problem being friends. But Kor I gotta break it to ya - the boy likes you. And honestly sweetie I think you like him."

Kory spluttered in indignation, but Donna could hardly hear her over Karen's whoops of agreement. By this time, Rachel had given up reading and was perched serenely on the edge of her bed, facing the two girls silently but very much involved in the conversation at this point. She had always been very good at reading people, from as far back as she could remember she just had very accurate instincts and the common sense to trust them. And she had to admit, she felt very strongly that Kory and Dick were feeling a bit more for each other than they let on.

She hadn't been watching them too closely, because while she liked Kory she couldn't care less about Dick or who he dated. But having Kory's best interest at heart, she had recently begun to listen to her gut whenever the two were around each other, and she had started to pick up on little hints here and there that pointed towards an underlying affection felt by both parties. Rachel didn't like getting involved in matters such as these, though, so while she was happy for her friend and was begrudgingly interested in where things were headed, she vowed not to get involved.

And that meat not getting involved for any reason - not even to confirm Donna's suspicions that Kory was wildly unaware of her own feelings, and only marginally aware of Dick's. That didn't mean she couldn't observe and enjoy the way things would inevitably unfold for the two of them. Suddenly feeling startled, Rachel realized that she was developing a bit of an attachment to her bubbly new friend and resolutely picked up her book to refocus herself on the words on the page. Rachel did not do attachment.

On the other bed, Kory was hiding her face in her hands while Karen and Donna both made their case for why Kory should give Dick a chance to be more than just her friend.

"Plus, he's hot!" Donna said.

"Really hot." Karen agreed.

"Enough!" Kory said loudly, "I get the point. And to a certain extent, I agree. Richard is quite the catch, and while I may have misjudged him initially, I do think that he is a wonderful person who would probably make an even better companion." Donna and Karen both made to speak excitedly, but Kory used one finger of each hand to silence each of them.

"Let me finish." Kory said sternly. Donna smiled and slapped a hand over her mouth, while Karen pretended to zip her lips obediently. " _However_. That does not change the fact that the current trajectory of my life is completely up in the air. It would be wrong of me to start something new, and imprudent of me to allow myself to develop an attachment that I know must end in one week. That being said, I agree to continue to get to know Richard, and should anything change I promise to remain open-minded. Until then, this is my final decision."

Karen smirked as Kory finished her declaration, and mimed unzipping her lips. Donna, however, removed her hand from her mouth to reveal that she was frowning.

"So basically you're saying...you do like him." Karen asked, still smiling smugly. Kory glared in her direction for a moment before sighing and answering.

"In not so many words, yes, I suppose I do find myself developing a slight interest in him." Karen punched the air in success, waggling her eyebrows at Donna in the process. "But that does not change my decision!" Kory said exasperatedly.

"Yeah yeah yeah, I gotchya girl." Karen said, laughing a little and hopping off the bed. "Look, I gotta dash. I wanna take a shower and have a nap before dinner later. Are you two hanging with the group tonight?"

"I'd prefer an evening of solitude." Rachel said from behind her book.

"I, too, must decline. I have scheduled a wine tasting for myself in the city center this evening, I believe dinner will be served along with the wine in specific pairings." Kory said, her eyes sparkling a little as she said it.

"Oh yeah I forgot you have a bit of a thing for wine. Alright, well I'll catch you guys later. It was nice meeting you Donna! Thanks for letting me hang with y'all today." Karen paused before walking through the door, looking over her shoulder at Kory and adding, "And if I were you, red, I'd take your new pal Dick along with you tonight. I always find that wine tastes better when I'm drinking it next to a sexy man." She winked and let the door swing shut behind her before Kory could reply, her deep laughs echoing back to them as she continued down the hall to her room.

Kory returned her attention to Donna, who was still considering her with a slight frown on her face.

"Go on. Do the spitting of your words." Kory said, feeling as though she knew what Donna was going to say.

"It's 'spit it out' Kor, but listen. I hear what you're saying about not wanting to get into anything new if you know it's going to end. It makes sense, but I'm worried about you sweetie." Kory leaned back against the wall behind her and closed her eyes as her best friend continued. "Karras was a long time ago. And I know he hurt you, but you have to slow down a little bit and give yourself a shot at being happy sometime. Why not now? Why not let it be with a really hot man who obviously likes you and so far has treated you really well?" Kory groaned, but Donna continued over her. "I'm almost finished, just hear me out. You went across the world to do amazing things and learn more about yourself, right? Well...you're in a beautiful place. Why don't you take a chance on something else that might be just as beautiful?"

Kory didn't move to speak for a long while.

"I know it's not what you wanted to hear, but I think you needed it." Kory nodded silently, begrudgingly.

"I just feel...scared, Donna. This is scary." Kory admitted quietly. Rachel concentrated really hard on the words in her book, feeling like she was intruding on something very private.

"I know sweetie. But deep down, I think you probably scare him, too." She gave Kory a huge smile, which was returned with a smaller, albeit genuine one. Donna suddenly clapped her hands together, ready to change the subject to something more upbeat. "Now! Why don't you tell me about all the other people on your tour?"

Kory giggled before smiling more broadly and obliging her best friend.

She spent another thirty minutes on the computer talking to Donna about the other members of the tour group. Rachel even put her book down briefly to help describe a few of the more ridiculous characters the two were dealing with on a day-to-day basis. First, there was Richard, Garfield, and Victor; the three had become almost inseparable and Kory found them very enjoyable. Rachel was indifferent, but admitted that she probably minded their company the least out of anyone in the group, save Kory. Then there was Karen, who Donna had just met and heartily approved of; Kory liked her very much, and Rachel felt that she talked a little bit too much to be around constantly, but knew she made a good companion for Kory and ultimately did not mind having her around.

Then the two told Donna about a pair of blonde sorority girls who mostly kept to themselves, Tara and Katherine; Kory thought Tara was likable enough when she put her cellphone down, but Katherine - who insisted on being called "Kitten" - was unbearable to just about everyone in the group. Rachel thought both of them were dull and superficial, and preferred to stay away from the pair if she could help it. There was also one couple on the tour, a redhead named Wally and a tall, thin, purple-haired girl named Jenny who never seemed to have much to say; Kory and Rachel described in great detail how frequently the two seemed to fight and break up, then only minutes later would settle the argument and begin to very publicly display their affection. Donna thought that was hilarious and made Kory promise to try and get a good video of it before the tour ended.

Other than that, there was only one other man on the tour - the only "old" person in the group - Slade Wilson; Kory and Rachel knew very little about him, as the middle-aged man preferred to keep to himself and opted out of many of the group activities. Most of the younger travelers felt a little bit creeped out by him, as he seemed to often stare at the others in deep observation but typically declined their attempts at conversation.

Lastly, the girls told Donna a little bit about their handsome tour guide Xavier, and Rachel confirmed Karen's former statement about him having a bit of a crush on Kory. Kory declined to comment.

After they wrapped up the conversation with Donna, Kory showered and got dressed for her solo dinner, but found that she still had about an hour to kill before she had to leave the hotel. Unsure of what to do with herself until then, Kory toyed with the idea of wandering up the hall and knocking on Richard's door before settling on the safer option of doing a bit of sketching instead.

Sitting down at the small desk the hotel had situated by the only window in the room, she arranged her pencils and tucked one of the thinner pencils behind her ear as always. Kory had no idea what she was going to sketch until pencil met paper and she started putting broad strokes on the page.

...

Forty minutes later she was so entranced by her work, she didn't realize that Rachel had stopped reading and was standing behind her, just observing. Not wanting to startle her friend, Rachel cleared her throat and felt a pang of guilt as Kory jumped slightly and looked wildly around behind her.

"Oh! Goodness Rachel, you startled me!" Kory put her pencil down and turned halfway around in her chair to face her better, suddenly very aware that Rachel was still looking at her unfinished drawing. Rachel continued to study her sketch, but spoke in a serene voice.

"I don't do emotions, and I rarely if ever do friendships...but I've always been extremely perceptive, and I do consider you my friend. My very emotional friend who is clearly feeling a lot of things right now. If you care to discuss it, I've been known to make a decent listener when I put my mind to it." Rachel said, sounding as monotone as ever but also more sincere than usual.

Kory took a deep breath and smiled at her new friend, knowing that the offer was well-meant.

"Friend Rachel, I find your words comforting, and should the situation become any more complicated, I am glad to know that I have someone here with whom I can trust my fears and reservations. At present, I feel as though it is pointless to get any more worked up about something that I do not yet feel strongly enough about to feel the need to vent." Kory looked up at her friend, who was looking back at her searchingly. After a tense moment, Rachel shrugged her shoulders lightly and returned to her bed, sitting back down and picking up her book.

Kory turned back to her drawing, feeling a strange mixture of relief and regret at having turned down Rachel's offer. After only another moment of silence, however, Rachel offered her one last piece of advice:

"I'll let this subject go, I can tell you aren't ready to talk about it yet. But before I do, one more thing...I do think you should allow yourself to spend more time with him. He makes you happy, and the two of you get along quite well." Rachel looked at the back of Kory's head briefly before lowering her eyes back down to the page and speaking a final time on the matter. "I also think that getting to know him better might offer you a certain sense of peace from the way your mind has been plagued with thoughts of him lately." Kory turned around to face her friend abruptly, eyes wide.

Rachel didn't have to be a mind-reader to know what she was thinking.

"No, it's not something that everyone can tell. Usually I only have an inkling of where your mind is wandering, but not much more than that. As your roommate, I get to see more of you than the others...and I have a sneaking suspicion that should you decide to add color to your sketch, the irises of those eyes would be a shocking cerulean blue."

Kory felt her face get hot, knowing full-well that she had been sketching Richard's eyes for the better part of an hour. Rachel did not look up from her book again, and Kory could sense that her roommate was finished with the topic for the time being.

Slowly, almost dazedly, Kory got up and picked up her purse, saying an airy goodbye to her friend before the door shut behind her.

Taking deep, calming breaths, Kory stood outside of her hotel room wondering which direction to walk; to the right was the elevator that would take her down to the lobby, but to the left, Richard's room was just around the corner and three doors down. Closing her eyes she moaned a bit before opening them wide and making a split-second decision.

Moments later, she was knocking on Richard's door.

"Please don't be here, please don't be here, please don't be-" she muttered to herself, stopping abruptly as the door opened to reveal a slightly ruffled looking Richard.

A slightly ruffled, _very shirtless_ , looking Richard.

"Oh! Hello." Kory said breathlessly. Richard just stared back at her, seemingly at a loss for words. Kory decided that was a good thing, because she was afraid that if he spoke she would loose her nerve and completely forget the reason she had knocked in the first place.

"Richard, hi. You look...shirtless." She fought a groan, taking a quick breath and fighting to regain her composure. "I am sorry. I was merely wondering, well, hoping actually, that you would agree to join me for dinner this evening." Richard still didn't speak. Kory was beginning to feel nervous.

"You see, I have arranged for an evening of tapas and wine-tasting in the city's center, and I thought it might be enjoyable if you were to accompany me...I know that the majority of the group have plans to meet for dinner, and I completely understand if you wish to dine with them instead! I just thought that, well...given the way we first met...I just thought that..." Another deep breath. Why on earth wasn't he saying anything? "I would like very much if you came with me tonight, Richard." Kory finished earnestly.

Finally seeming to snap out of it, Richard pushed a hand through his hair and glanced behind his shoulder, seeming nervous. Why did he seem nervous...?

"Kory, wow. Yes, of course I'd love to have dinner with you! Can I meet you downstairs in 15 minutes? I'm kind of a mess right now, I was...ahh, working out. But yes of course I'd love to go with you tonight. You look gorgeous by the way. I'll see you downstairs, okay?" Richard said hurriedly. Kory smiled broadly, but couldn't help but feel that something was amiss. Pushing the nagging thought that Richard was acting strangely aside, she clapped her hands in front of her excitedly and jumped up and down on the spot.

"Glorious! Richard I greatly look forward to an evening spent in your...i-in your..." Kory began happily, but she quickly felt her voice die in her throat as her suspicions were confirmed.

Two slim arms wrapped themselves around Richard's fit torso from behind, and a moment later the tousled blonde head of the person they belonged to poked her face around to peer at Kory over Richard's shoulder. Richard closed his eyes as the blood drained from his face, his worst nightmare quickly unfolding before his eyes.

"Dickie-poo, what's _she_ doing here? We've only just gotten started." Kitten purred, trailing kisses along Richard's neck and shoulder while keeping her malicious eyes on Kory's horror-struck face.

"Oh." Kory choked out, a wave of emotions hitting her at once. "Oh. I - excuse me."

Kory turned on her heel and bolted down the hallway, barely registering the fact that Richard was calling after her as she rounded the corner.

Fumbling with her keys, she struggled to get her door open with shaking hands. Finally hearing the click of the lock, she threw herself inside and leaned her back against it heavily, sliding down to the floor and burying her face in her hands.

Now shaking from head to foot, she peeked out at a startled Rachel from between her fingers.

"Friend Rachel, I do believe I am ready to do the talking now." Kory choked out in between dry sobs.

Rachel put her book down patiently, turning to her distraught friend with a strong feeling of foreboding beginning to settle in her stomach. Her evening of solitude would probably have to wait.

 **Whoopsie...Anyone see that one coming? Let me know what you think of the story so far in your review!**


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